Chicken and Roasted Tomatoes

I guess I'm having a "food" week... I've been posting mostly recipes this week! :) This dinner was inspired by a half-dozen tomatoes that I didn't know what to do with. My father-in-law is always bringing us food when he comes to visit us, and most of the time he brings too much! It is very sweet of him, I know. But, this week I had six tomatoes, and no idea what to do with them... as they were continuing to ripen on my counter. There wasn't quite enough tomatoes for a soup, plus I didn't have tomato paste. So, I searched online and found a delicious recipe from Ina Garten from Food Network. Mmmm... roasted tomatoes. My hubby was a little annoyed that the roasting was a little "smoky" from the oil, etc. But, they tasted so good, so I think he forgave me. ;) I was actually thinking of making a chicken cacciatore, but most of the recipes I found called for a big can of tomatoes, and that just wasn't going to work for me... So, after I borrowed Ina's roasted tomato recipe, I did my own thing with them. The tomatoes are so good just by themselves. Roasting them with the oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic really gives them a whole new flavor, and they were delicious mixed with the chicken and pasta. This meal is actually two recipes, combined later. You can serve the chicken and tomatoes over pasta or rice, or just eat them plain! Ina's recipe called for 12 tomatoes, but since I just had 6, I halved the recipe. Enjoy!

Serves 2 to 3

Ina Garten's Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients:

6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed

2 tbsp good olive oil

3/4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note: I didn't roast my tomatoes all the way, since I knew I was going to be cooking them further along with the chicken. But, they were still delicious!

My Easy Chicken Recipe with the addition of Ina's tomatoes:

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp low-sodium chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook chicken in skillet for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place chicken on a separate plate. Return skillet to heat, add garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until slightly browned. In the meantime, cut chicken and roasted tomatoes into big chunks or cubes. Return chicken to skillet, cooking until no longer pink. Add broth, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes or until all flavors are combined.